Troubled school near Shrewsbury shuts down

Cruckton Hall School was previously rated as inadequate in an Ofsted inspection and was placed in special measures.

Staff at the school, which is on the outskirts of Shrewsbury, have been told of the closure. Dozens of jobs are at risk.

The school, run by the Kisimul Group Limited, used to be known as one of the best in the country for children with autism, Asperger’s and behavioural problems.

But over the last decade the standards at the school have slipped, with claims that staff have been attacked, abused and intimidated.

One member of staff, who asked not to be identified, also claimed staff at the school had not been given adequate support by management in the face of threats of physical violence from students. The staff member said problems at the school had had a profound impact on the lives of those working there.

The school has been at the centre of controversy for a number of years. In 2015, Ofsted inspectors found that pupils at the private school were coming to classes armed with knives, sticks and a BB gun.

Standards

Although the school was judged to be good at an inspection in May 2017, by October 2018 inspectors felt it “did not meet all of the independent school standards”.

The school’s adjoining children’s home had its registration temporarily suspended by Government inspectors in January.

A spokesperson for Cruckton Hall said: “Our primary focus is delivering high quality education and care for the children we work with.

“In order to ensure the best possible care and support for our pupils, we undertook a review of the provision at Cruckton Hall. While an Ofsted inspection in May 2019 concluded that the independent school standards were being fully met, we took the difficult decision to consider the closure of the school’s current provision.

“With our support, the young people affected by this decision have all found suitable alternative education and care arrangements.

“With the proposed closure of Cruckton Hall, we have entered into the appropriate processes for staff members and have consulted with the staff affected.

“This has not been an easy decision, but we feel it is in the best interests of the children and young people we work with.”